The Other Side of Tomorrow
by germanAkice
Summary: Left in the woods, wanting nothing but death, Tanya takes pity on Bella, turning her. But in her new life can she come to terms with what she is, and more to the point, can Edward? New Moon AU
1. Chapter 1

The Other Side of Tomorrow

**A/N: This is a little story that came to me while listening to Evanescence. I have to thank a short list of people before you can start reading so bear with me. First on the list is Faerie_kitten without whose WCs I could have never gotten as far as I am now also she encouraged me to turn to Sparkly Red Pen for a beta so thank you for that too. Next on the list is ****ltlerthqak my Prereader I was assigned by SRP who helped me a lot with my writing. Another huge thank you goes to wmr1601 my beta who put up with all my mistakes. And last but not least thank you to chartwilightmom who helped me with working out the quirks.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I never have and I never will, I'm not making money with this and it's purely for fun.**

Prologue

BPoV

I finally found it. This was the place I had been looking for ever since he left me. The place where I wanted to find my rest. _His_ meadow where I'd finally learned everything about him. Where I had spent the best day of my life. Now it was empty, covered in snow, and had lost the magic that once existed here. Just like I had lost everything.

I lay down on the ground in the place where I had lain so many months before and allowed my thoughts, for the first time in months, to wander to _him_. Edward Cullen had been my reason for everything, and I'd once been fooled enough to think he felt the same about me. But he had told me it wasn't so, and thus, had crushed my heart. All I wanted to do was lie here and end it all. Nothing mattered anymore anyway. Edward didn't love me, and by leaving me, he had taken my life with him.

I started to feel cold and was glad. Freezing to death was much faster and less painful than the slow demise I had been suffering before. Now my thoughts weren't just full of Edward, but also his family and the future I had lost. I'd wanted to be a vampire and spend eternity with Edward and his family. With Alice, who had been my best friend and like a sister to me. Emmett, his bear like brother who always had a joke on his lips and was constantly smiling. Esme … Jasper … Rosalie … Carlisle … It hurt to think of them all.

I felt the life drain out of me, replaced by cold, when someone stepped into my line of vision. It was a woman; a woman so beautiful she could compare to Rosalie. She was a tall with strawberry blonde hair and pale skin. From her golden eyes, I could tell she was a vampire who lived the same lifestyle as the Cullens. When she saw me looking at her, a glimmer of recognition seemed to flicker in her eyes.

"You're Bella Swan, Edward's mate. What are you doing here?"

I pulled all my strength together and opened my mouth to speak. "Cold… Edward…" was all I got out before my eyes fell shut. I was dying, and I was glad.

"Don't worry, Bella. I'll bring you back to Edward."

And then the burning started ...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1:

**AN: again a huge thank you goes to my prereader ****ltlerthqak and my beta wmr1601. Another huge thank you to faerie kitten for hosting the WCs in which most of this was written. You all rock**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight blah de blah blah**

The pain that came with the burning was… intense. I couldn't think of any other word to describe it. And even intense didn't cover it entirely. Whereas before the life in me had been replaced with cold, now the cold was replaced by fire and pain.

I lost track of time and basically froze, unmoving. I was breathing, of course, but other than that, I didn't do anything. It made the pain a little more bearable.

When I woke from my stupor, I was confused. I thought I had died when the pain started and that I should be in heaven. But instead I was in the meadow still and the female vampire I thought I had only imagined was with me.

I tried to remember what had happened before the pain started. At first I came up blank; I couldn't remember! While one part of my brain started to panic, another one started to wonder who she was and what she was doing here.

"Who are you?" I asked in a voice that didn't sound like my own.

"I'm Tanya. Nice to meet you, Bella."

At the sound of my name, everything came crashing back. Who I was… the Cullens… my desire to be a vampire… my hideous last birthday… and most of all, Edward.

"I'm a vampire, aren't I?" I asked in a shaky voice, if wind chimes could sound shaky. Tanya only nodded. When my words and her response sunk in, I started laughing. Well, not so much laughing as choking from hysteria. How ironic. Before Edward left me, I would have traded everything to be a vampire. And now that he had taken every reason for living with him, I suddenly had an eternity without him ahead of me.

Tanya stared at me, confused. Apparently, nothing like this had ever happened to her before. I tried to calm down, and when I did, I apologized.

"I'm really sorry, but this is all so ridiculous. Two months ago, I would have traded almost anything to become a vampire and spend eternity with Edward. And now that he's left me, I'm a vampire with an eternity of loneliness ahead of me." I ended with a sad smile on my lips.

"What do you mean Edward left you? He would never do such a thing. I don't even know if it's possible for mates to be apart from one another." Tanya looked at me seriously.

And so I told her all of what had happened in the days after my birthday. When I finished, she looked at me incredulously.

"I knew Edward was stupid but I had no idea he was a fucking idiot."

Now I was confused. "What do you mean he's an idiot?"

"I've known Edward for almost ninety years, and I think he might have left you because he thinks he doesn't deserve you. He thinks neither he nor his family is deserving of your forgiveness for what Jasper did. But I can't be sure… I'd have to talk with Carlisle about this," Tanya explained.

My mouth fell open. He'd told me he didn't love me and thus had crushed my heart into five million pieces and taken it with him when he left. And all of that because he thought he wasn't good enough for me? What a stupid jerk. All my sadness turned into fury. If Edward crossed paths with me again I would… I would kick his ass so hard he could chew my toenails.

Tanya seemed to read what was on my mind by looking at my face. "I know you're furious, but how about you go with me to Denali? You need to learn how to control your thirst," she said, and looked at me curiously, as if she was waiting for some sign that I was going to go on a rampage any second. But I didn't feel like killing people. All I wanted was to find Edward and hand his sorry ass to him. Though I didn't feel like killing anyone, the back of my throat burned and I knew to some extent what that meant. I was thirsty, and only blood could satisfy this thirst.

"I think that might be a good idea. Can you teach me how to hunt?"

Tanya smiled. "There's not much I can teach you. It's mostly instinct, but yes, I'd love to show you how to hunt. Not here though, it's too close to the path and the town. Do you think you can keep from hunting until we reach Canada?" she asked seriously.

"I think I can. As long as I don't think about it, I should be able to manage."

Tanya laughed. "I think I can keep you occupied." She held her hand out toward me and I got swiftly off the ground. When I had brushed of the snow from my clothes, Tanya left the meadow, and I ran after her. After a short while of running behind her, I fell into an easy step beside her.

"Tanya? May I ask you something?" I asked after a period of silence.

"Sure, Bella. What is it?"

"I was just wondering if you've spoken to any of the Cullens since last September…"

"Carlisle and I keep in touch constantly and, as far as I know, Alice and Kate have wanted to go shopping for quite some time now. But neither one of them said anything about the fact that they had left Forks. That's why I was in the meadow in the first place; I was on my way to the Cullens' to invite them to Denali for a little while."

I nodded in understanding. "Can you do me a favor then?" I asked timidly.

"That depends; what you want me to do for you?"

"Could you not tell any of the Cullens that you changed me? I mean, you don't have to lie to them, but could you not mention it?" my voice full of caution.

"Of course I can do that," she answered smiling.

Again, we fell into a comfortable silence, just running next to each other. I held my breath for most of the time, guessing it would prevent me from going on a killing spree if we came close to humans.

After about half an hour, we reached a cliff, and Tanya came to a stop. "We'll have to swim to the other side. Then we'll be in Canada and can hunt once we're past the small towns there," Tanya said and looked at me apprehensively. _Swimming, great!_ Not only would the water be freezing cold, but I could barely make out the shore on the other side. It must be a good thirteen miles to the other side.

At the expression on my face, Tanya laughed. "Don't worry, Bella! You're a vampire now, remember? The distance shouldn't be a problem for you and the water doesn't feel cold to us."

I stared across the water to the other side. "And this is really necessary?" I questioned her.

She laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Bella; swimming is second nature to our kind."

It was as if her words triggered something within me. Suddenly I realized I was no longer a fragile human that tripped over her own two feet. I was strong, agile, and no longer clumsy. I was a vampire now, and vampires did stuff like jumping off cliffs and swimming thirteen miles in ice-cold water!

With my newfound determination firmly in place, I stepped back, and then flung myself over the edge of the cliff with as much energy as I could muster.

The fall was a bizarre experience to say the least. I felt the air rushing past me, whipping at my hair as a sign of great speed, yet everything seemed to move in slow motion. After what seemed like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than a minute, I dived headfirst into the water, expecting it to feel cold.

It wasn't cold in the slightest; it was a rather comfortable temperature though not really warm. After a few seconds under water, my head broke through the surface just as Tanya hit the water next to me. I stayed afloat until her head penetrated the surface.

"For now we can swim, but once we get a little further away from the coast we'll need to remain underwater so the humans don't see us."

I nodded in understanding and we began to swim. Five minutes later, we were quite a distance away from the coast and Tanya dived under the water. I followed her example at once.

We swam side by side for quite some time, avoiding the occasional boat that crossed our path. At first it felt strange not to breathe, but I got used to the sensation surprisingly quick. After about fifteen minutes, we reached the shore—or rather, the foot of another cliff.

Treading water and looking up at it, Tanya said, "We have to climb up there. Make sure you don't grip the rocks too hard or they might break under your hold and you could fall back into the water."

I nodded and we climbed up the cliff. When we reached the top, Tanya again told me to hold my breath and that we would be able to go hunting in about three miles.

The prospect of food excited me. I could feel the back of my throat burn just a little bit but I pushed that pain away rather quickly. Again, we ran in silence, so I jumped in surprise when Tanya's cell started ringing. She stopped abruptly, and I wondered for a second how that phone could have survived our recent swim, but all thought was wiped from my mind when I heard the voice of the caller.

**AN****: OK that was it for chapter 1. Chapter 2 will be posted in two weeks. And now I have some recs for you all!**

**First: Behind the Velvet Rope by mcgt: A really awesome All Human story for all the Emmett lovers out there! ****.net/s/7113513/1/bBehind_b_the_bVelvet_b_bRope_b**

**Second: I'm Only Sleeping by Simaril: It's a New Moon AU just like this story but it's a really different story and I love it! It has me completely hoocked! .net/s/7079270/1/bIm_b_bOnly_b_bSleeping_b**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2:

**Hope you enjoy the ****chapter! Big thanks to my beta wmr1601 and my prereader ltlerthqak**

"Hi, Tanya. Would you care to explain why I just arrived at your house only to be told by Kate that you went to Forks? As soon as she spoke I got hit by a vision of you and _Bella_ of all people coming through your front door laughing! But that wasn't the most shocking part! The part that really knocked my socks of was the fact that Bella's eyes were a bright crimson! _What the heck did you do, Tanya?"_ Alice didn't bother to keep her voice at a normal volume by the end of her story.

Tanya sighed. "Hello, Alice, how are you?"

"Don't 'how are you' me, Tanya!" Alice sounded furious.

I stared at the phone disbelievingly. It was the first time in months that I'd heard any of the Cullens' voices. The sound of Alice screeching through the phone conjured up memories that caused the hole in my chest—the hole that their leaving caused—to ache slightly.

"Give me the phone."

Tanya handed the phone over, and I took a deep breath before holding it to my ear.

"Hi, Alice. I hope you've had a nice life the past couple months, because if it wasn't for Tanya showing up by coincidence, you would have a dead best friend by now. But, oh wait. I can't be your best friend, because if I were, you wouldn't have _left like that_ without even _saying goodbye_! Oh, and when you see your jerk of a brother, tell him that I am going to kick his ass so hard he'll be chewing on my toenails the next time I see him."

As soon as I finished my little speech, I hung up and turned the phone off before handing it back to Tanya. She smiled and asked, "Feel better?"

I hesitated.

"For some strange reason… yes! Though Alice is going to kill me for that stunt, not to mention that I tried to kill myself, but oh, well. What's done is done." I shrugged.

Tanya laughed heartily. "Bella Swan, you have guts! If I talked to Alice like that, she would rip me a new one."

Then she asked, "Are you ready for your first hunt?" I nodded hesitantly and waited for her to tell me what to do. "Okay, all you need to do is breathe in, pick up a scent and then follow it. I checked the immediate area for humans and I haven't smelled any, so you can just let your instincts take over. If we do come across a human scent, I'll stop you, so don't worry."

Her instructions sounded simple enough but I was worried it would be a lot more complicated than that.

I took a deep breath and immediately smelled the forest surrounding us. I smelled the trees, the earth, and another million aromas I couldn't quite place. Amongst them was an enticing scent I had never smelled before. It was earthy, yet similar to a really delicious food you hadn't had in ages - like smelling pizza after only eating salad for three months straight.

I followed it to a small clearing where I found a herd of deer, but they weren't what had brought me here. What I smelled was hiding in the shadows between the trees on the other side of the clearing. It was a pack of three wolves closing in on their own meal.

I targeted one of them, a big grayish-black colored male who seemed to be the alpha. I concentrated on him. Just as he and his fellow wolves started their attack on the herd of deer, I pounced on him and bit right through the thick fur, skin and fat at his neck and began to drink in deep pulls.

The wolf struggled at first, but his resistance soon became weaker and weaker. Even though his pack members tried to get me off him, ripping my clothes in the process, I paid them no attention until I had sucked the wolf dry. I attacked the next one, and the third had enough survival instinct to try and flee, but I soon caught up with him and feasted on his blood as well.

When I finished, I raced back to the clearing where Tanya was waiting for me. I stepped out of the woods as she smiled and asked, "Wolf? Unusual choice, but did you like your first meal? To be honest, I was expecting you to go for the deer. Way easier to kill."

I grinned widely and said, "Yeah, their smell didn't appeal to me as much as the wolves did. I enjoyed the meal immensely and can't wait to get to Denali now. How far away is it?"

Tanya laughed. "We should be there by tomorrow afternoon. But you do realize that Alice will be waiting there for us, right?"

The smile on my face immediately vanished. During the hunt, I had forgotten all about Alice, her wrath, and the fact that she'd be waiting for me in Denali. I shrugged. "Alice can be intimidating sometimes, but I'm prepared to fight back if I have to. I haven't forgiven her yet, but I also want answers."

Tanya nodded, and we started off in the direction of Denali. We ran at a fast pace through rarely changing scenery. We only adjusted course when our path ran too close to a human settlement, and then I also held my breath in order to avoid killing anyone. I had my mind set on never drinking human blood just like Carlisle, though my reasons greatly varied from his.

He did it out of compassion and not wanting to be a monster. I shared the latter with him, but my main reason was that I wanted to prove to myself - and in a way, to Edward - that I could do this. That I wouldn't end up as some blood-crazed monster, unable to avoid killing people. I would show him that he should have changed me long ago, that I was ready for this life, and that leaving me was the biggest mistake his sorry ass ever made.

I hoped we'd get back together eventually that is, if he still wanted me that way. But before that could happen, I would have to talk about a lot of things with him. The biggest issue that needed to be resolved would clearly be the reasons he left me. If Tanya was right - if he left me because he thought he didn't deserve me, and that I shouldn't be with him for my own good - he would be in for one hell of an ass kicking.

But if he told me the truth and really _didn't_ love me anymore, then I would have to find a way to deal with that truth. I would have to move on… or at least try to.

_Or you could always do what he wanted to do when James attacked you and go to the Volturi_, whispered a tiny voice in the back of my mind.

"Tanya? Who are the Volturi?" I asked before I could stop myself. Tanya came to a stop so suddenly, I actually ran past her. When I realized she was no longer beside me, I stopped and turned around. About twenty yards behind me stood Tanya, a little paler than before, her honey-colored eyes wide with shock and her posture absolutely rigid.

"How do you know about the Volturi?" she whispered. I shrugged and told her how Edward had said if a vampire wanted to die, all he or she had to do was provoke them.

She nodded. "Yes, that sounds about right. The Volturi are somewhat like royalty in our world. They rule and enforce the law. If you break the law, they hunt you down and kill you. If you are talented, they might give you the choice between death and joining their ranks. But your talent would have to be something truly extraordinary for that to happen."

"So they're basically like the government and police all wrapped into one? And what kind of laws do vampires have?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, they are, and we have basically only one law that splits into many different and sometimes complicated facets."

"What is that law?"

"Absolute secrecy. We cannot tell a single human what we are. If we do, they either have to die or be changed into one of us. So you don't have to be worried - the moment I bit you, it became irrelevant that the Cullens told you what we are."

I nodded and calmed down a little. Tanya's words had caused me to panic a little bit. Even though they had left me, I still thought of the Cullens as part of my family, maybe even more so now that I was a vampire. My change ultimately meant I could never see my parents - or even Jacob - ever again.

"Do you have any more questions about them, or should we continue on our way?" Tanya asked, pulling me from my internal ramblings. I shook my head, and we continued running.

As Tanya had predicted, we reached Denali the following afternoon. The closer we got to her house, the more nervous I became. Not only was Alice waiting for me there, but I would also meet Tanya's coven for the first time. During our journey, Tanya had told me a little bit about them.

Besides her, there were Irina, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar. Also, she had warned me that Laurent, who was originally a member of James' coven, was staying with them now to try out the 'vegetarian way of life,' as she jokingly called it. At the mention of Laurent's name, I had growled, but she reassured me he posed no threat and really just wanted a little peace of mind. She also said he seemed to have a deeper connection with Irina, and they could possibly be mates.

This calmed me down a little, but I promised myself I would be careful about what I said and did around Laurent. He would have to prove himself to me before I would trust him. Better safe than sorry.

Carmen and Eleazar sounded very much like Esme and Carlisle to me. Both pacifists, Eleazar had chosen to leave his spot in the Volturi guard when he met Carmen. They were deeply in love and liked the peace and quiet that living in Denali with the sisters provided them.

I wasn't sure yet what to think of Irina, even though Tanya told me she was a great person. I was reserved due to the fact that she, apparently, was in love with Laurent. I normally wouldn't judge someone due to the person he or she was in love with, but Laurent was woven into some of the worst memories of my human existence.

Kate, on the other hand, seemed like someone I could get along with easily. From what Tanya told me, she sounded a lot like Alice, just not as hyper and without the visions.

I didn't have much time to ponder this, though, since the house was in sight and we were rapidly approaching it. I could hear the people inside stopping what they were doing and rushing to the front door. And indeed, as soon as I finished that thought, the door opened, and a woman appeared.

She was tall, blonde, and attractive. Her eyes were honey-colored and her skin was as pale as mine. I figured it was either Kate or Irina, since I knew from Tanya that Carmen's skin was just a tad darker than ours due to her Spanish roots.

Tanya and I stopped directly in front of her, and she raised her hand in greeting. "You must be Bella. Hi, I am Kate, and whatever this one has told you about me… don't believe a word of it." She laughed.

I smiled timidly back at her and said, "Tanya didn't tell me anything bad about you, at least as far as I can tell."

Kate laughed again and answered, "See, you can't trust her! If she had told the truth, you would have heard all kinds of horror stories about me. But don't worry; my bark is worse than my bite."

I chuckled. "I think I like you already."

She stepped aside, and Tanya and I entered the house.

My eyes automatically zoned in on the dark-haired, pintsized vampire standing to the left of an enormous couch. Her arms were tightly folded across her chest and she was tapping her foot in a fast staccato.

"Careful, Alice, or you might crack the foundation of the house." I tried to joke but to no avail. Alice's eyes gleamed with fury as she took a deep, unnecessary breath. I covered my ears just before she started screaming.

"Isabella Marie Swan! What the _fuck_ were you thinking? Over the last three days I had an array of visions showing all kinds of horrible scenarios involving you! Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw you freezing to death in the meadow one second and being found in said meadow by Victoria the next? Are you _completely_ out of your mind? You can thank the heavens above that Edward wasn't anywhere close to me when I saw these things! Oh, and did you ever put even one thought to what you disappearing might do to Charlie and Renee? Your friends? MY FAMILY?" By the last two words, she had gotten so loud I heard the animals outside running through the forest, scared by her voice.

During her speech, I grew more and more furious even though I wasn't sure why. I didn't even try to rein in the rage that was suddenly boiling up in me. I was so mad at her family, at her, and most of all at her brother, that the words just burst out of me.

"Funny you should mention your family, because during those last three days of 'horrific visions' as you called it, did you think for just one moment about what might have _caused_ all this? Did it for one second occur to you that maybe, just _maybe_, I was fucking _miserable_ when you left me without even one word of goodbye? That you just leaving like that pulled me into such a depression it physically hurt to breathe? That by your family leaving, I didn't just lose a bunch of friends, but my future, my family the goddamned love of my existence? I thought we were friends, Alice! I considered you a sister! Do you have any idea how fucking much it hurt?" With every word I spoke, I stepped closer to her until I stood so close we were almost touching. "Losing you all broke me, Alice, so don't you _dare_ fucking yell at me because of a few lousy visions that scared you a bit." Now my voice was quiet, and even to me it sounded sad beyond measure. I turned away from Alice because I couldn't bear to look into her eye. I was afraid that if I looked at her any longer, I would break down and make a fool out of myself. I was no longer the weak, human Bella the Cullens had left behind in Forks. I was strong now. I was a vampire.

I turned to Tanya and said, "Can I use your phone? I need to call my dad. He needs to know I'm all right." My voice still sounded sad and broken. If I made that call now, I could use it to my advantage. Tanya nodded and handed me her cell phone after she turned it back on.

"Don't worry, the call can't be traced back to us," she said.

I went out the front door, walked a bit and dialed the number of my old home. It only rang once before somebody answered the phone. "Swan residence."

I took a deep breath and whispered, "This is Bella. May I speak to my dad, please?"

The man at the other end of the phone sighed in relief. "Bella, this is Billy Black. Your father's at the police station; he's going insane with worry for you! Where are you?"

"That doesn't matter, Billy. Can you tell him I called and that I'm all right? I needed to leave Forks; I couldn't stand the memories there one more second. He shouldn't worry about me. I'm fine. I have enough money to last me a while, and I'll call again as soon as I can - I promise. Tell him and my mom I love them, but I can't stand to be around either one of them now. Tell them I'm sorry."

I hung up before Billy could respond and slid down the tree trunk I had been leaning against for most of the call. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them. Only now did the realization hit me of what I had done to Charlie and Renee by going to the meadow - by just leaving like that.

I felt like a selfish bitch, because all I had cared about at the time were my own feelings of despair and loneliness. All I saw was me - _my_ pain, _my_ loss, _my_ feelings. No wonder Edward had left me. Who would want to be with someone as selfish as me? Not him, certainly. But then again, why was I thinking about him in the first place? Thinking about him only brought back the pain and the hole in my chest. The pain of his loss had been crippling as a human; now it seemed even worse. Since my brain was so much more capable now that I was a vampire, the pain I experienced from not being by his side was so much worse.

I didn't fight the pain; instead, I let it wash over me, feeling that I deserved every ounce of it for what I had done to my parents. I was so caught up in my pain and regret that I didn't notice anything until somebody sat beside me.

I could tell by her petite form and the hand she put on my shoulder that it was Alice. I didn't look up to meet her eyes, for I was afraid the moment I did, I would either start to cry or beat the living crap out of her.

"Talk to me, Bella," she murmured softly.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. "I can't, Alice; I just can't."

"I'm sorry for what our leaving did to you. If I had seen what he was up to sooner, I would have stopped him."

I choked, trying desperately to fight back the sobs that were threatening to escape me. "Don't, Alice," I uttered quietly. "Don't talk about him. I can't stand it."

I was sure that had Alice been human, she wouldn't have caught my desperate plea for her to stop. But she wasn't human, and thankfully she didn't say anything more while I lost the fight to the sobs that were overtaking me.

As the first choked sounds left my lips, Alice wrapped her arms around me. My eyes prickled with tears I knew I couldn't shed anymore, so it surprised me when I felt drops of liquid running down my face from my eyes.

"Bella?"

I looked at Alice for the first time since she had joined me outside and heard her gasp. Her appearance didn't make sense to me. Everything around and about her had an eerie red coloring, and her eyes were dark when I knew for a fact they had been a light butterscotch while we were inside.

"What's happening, Alice?" I asked her fearfully. She stared at me with an expression of utter shock on her face, an expression I had never seen on her beautiful features before. As an answer, she grabbed a mirror out of her pocket and held it up to me.

When my face came into focus, I gasped in shock. I was crying blood-red tears.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: heya everyone. Before the chapter starts I have one last thing… my One Shot "Forever Cursed" has been nominated for an Emerging Swan Award in the Category Supernatural/Sci-Fi. It would make me immensely happy if you would take just a little time to vote here: ****http:/ emergingswanawards .blogspot .com/p/voting .html**

**Just delete the spaces in the web address. Voting is open until the 29****th**** August! A huge thank you as always to my beta wmr1601 and my prereader ltlerthqak.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

Chapter 3:

BPoV

I stared at Alice, completely and utterly shocked. Vampires couldn't make tears, so I shouldn't be crying! Yet there I sat, in front of Tanya's home, with blood-red tears streaming down my face.

She stood before me, just as wide-eyed, just as astounded as I was. I could tell by the look on her face that she had never seen anything like this before.

"What's happening, Alice?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. She shook her head—a simple gesture that conveyed so much.

She didn't know what this meant or what could be causing it. She was just as clueless as I was.

"Maybe Carlisle will know," she murmured after what seemed like an eternity. Then she took out her cell phone and dialed. After the third ring, I heard Carlisle's voice. It sounded just as gentle and familiar as when I was a human, yet also different. I could hear so much detail; his voice had so much more depth than before.

"Hello, Alice. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, Carlisle. You need to come to Denali at once. I'll explain when you arrive."

Carlisle's tone changed immediately. "Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, everybody's fine. But I need you here. I can't explain, but you need to come here as soon as possible."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few hours. I am assuming I'm the only one you need?"

"Yes; I don't think the others would be helpful right now." I could hear the apology in her voice which meant the rest of her family could her us. I thought of how they must be reacting to this phone call, picturing Esme's worried features at once. I wanted to apologize, but knew I couldn't say anything right then. They'd know I was in Alaska, they'd know I was no longer human, and they'd tell Edward. He'd come running to Denali, and I knew, deep down in the pieces of my broken heart, that I couldn't face him yet.

It was too soon; before I could deal with my past, I needed to figure out my present, and maybe even plan a part of my now endless future. If it wasn't for her gift, I probably wouldn't even be sitting here with Alice. Also, she wouldn't be on the phone with her father—for all intents and purposes— getting him here so we can figure out the mystery of my blood tears. I silently stood up and walked away from both Alice and the house. I was deathly afraid that Edward would find out I was there… that he'd find out I was a vampire, and that he'd be disgusted by it. That he'd break my heart again and I'd be left here facing an eternity of loneliness with a burning hole in my chest as my only companion.

I knew in that moment I couldn't live through his rejection again. And so I didn't stop walking when Alice called out my name. I didn't stop when I heard her coming after me. Not even when she caught up to me did I slow down. She had to tackle me to the ground before I even so much as acknowledged her presence.

"Damn it, Bella! Why didn't you stop when I called you?" she asked, exasperated. I shrugged and avoided looking in her eyes. "For fuck's sake, Bella. Look at me and tell me what's wrong! If that crying thing freaks you out, then you don't need to worry about it. Carlisle's plane will land in a few hours, and I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out."

I still wasn't looking at her, but suddenly I could feel the comprehension dawning on her. "This isn't about Carlisle, or about the bloody tears, is it?"

Knowing it was futile to resist Alice when she had that certainty in her voice, I shook my head.

"This is about Edward, isn't it?"

When she said his name, I felt my eyes well up with tears again. "This fucking sucks! Why do I have to be the only goddamned vampire on the face of this earth who can cry?"

Alice chuckled. "I know what you mean; being unique sucks sometimes."

I was half tempted to raise an eyebrow at her but I knew what she was talking about. There couldn't have been many other vampires in history with a similar gift to hers.

"Do you think this is my gift? The ability to cry? Because if it is, that would just plain suck. I want to be able to do something cool like you or Jasper." _Or Edward_, I mentally added.

Alice smirked at me. "You'll never be as cool as me, Swan, so don't even try."

We looked at each other for about five seconds before we both burst out laughing. While we sat on the ground laughing, the hole in my chest started to mend a little. It would probably never heal completely, but having my best friend back helped ease the pain.

When we sobered up a bit, Alice reassured me, "I doubt the tears are your gift. They're probably a part of it but not your entire gift. But that, of course, is only a guess; we won't know for sure until Carlisle arrives."

I raised my eyebrow at her. I was used to Alice knowing more than most people. Plus she certainly wasn't one of those people that just sat around. "Can't you already see what Carlisle will say when he arrives?"

She shrugged. "I can see him arriving and meeting you for the first time, but no specifics about the tears. Which bugs me, to be completely honest. I'm not used to not knowing things."

"Awww, poor psychic," I teased her. She stuck her tongue out at me and we laughed some more. Only after we had calmed down again did I notice the burning at the back of my throat.

Apparently crying made me thirsty. "Alice, would you like to go hunting with me? That crying jag earlier left me burning with thirst."

Alice nodded, stood up in one fluid movement and started heading back to the house. Slightly confused, I followed her inside.

"Bella and I are going hunting. Does anyone want to join us?" she asked Kate and Tanya, the only two vampires left in the room. But I knew her voice was loud enough to carry through the house so that the others also had the option of joining us. I secretly hoped they wouldn't because I wanted to spend more time with my friend.

Tanya and Kate shook their heads, and from various parts of the large house, we heard a chorus of no's. Alice and I headed back out the front door. We took off in a jog that quickly took us away from the house and into the woods. After about five minutes, Alice stopped so abruptly I almost crashed into her but I stopped just in time.

"What's wrong, Alice?" I asked her, but then I saw that she was in the middle of a vision, her eyes distant and glazed over. I was unsure of what to do so I waited until Alice's eyes began to clear. "What did you see Alice?" I questioned her once she seemed fully aware of her surroundings again.

Alice stared at a spot over my shoulder and said one word. One name that meant total happiness and yet filled me with dread.

"Edward…"


End file.
